Awards – SuperVeganhttp://supervegan.com/blog
SuperVegan.com has the best guide to New York City vegan restaurants and events and a blog featuring the latest vegan gossip.Sat, 12 Oct 2013 00:58:46 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1Free to Be Fancy Free: Celebrating With Mercy For Animals in the Hamptonshttp://supervegan.com/blog/free-to-be-fancy-free/
Mon, 01 Jul 2013 17:15:39 +0000http://supervegan.com/?p=5281SuperVegan was on hand for the Mercy for Animals hosted Free to Be: A Night for the Animals in the Hamptons on the evening of Saturday, June 22.

(Photo by Jenni Rempel.)

Attendees were promised the chance to “meet and mingle with leaders from the entertainment, political, and animal protection communities” and MFA did not disappoint.

Hosted by John Bradham at his swanky home in Amagansett, the event featured food from Gardein (the mini Wellington puffs and “crab” cakes were to die for—except nobody had to die to make them, score!), Vegan Treats, Treeline nut cheeseand wine from The Vegan Vine, which recently signed on Salley as a partner. There was just a whole lot of fancy happening under an amazingly bright moon, which happened to be the closest supermoon of 2013.

Not to forget the whole point of the evening, funds raised through the event support MFA’s groundbreaking initiatives and crucial work within its four areas of focus: undercover cruelty investigations, consumer education initiatives, corporate outreach, and legal advocacy. Vegan Treats owner Danielle Konya was happy to donate her time, and her desserts, to the cause. As she pointed out: “I don’t really about care about dessert, I care about animals.” I would have whole-heartedly agreed, of course, but I had my eye on a chocolate-covered vegan cannoli.

HEYA SUPERVEGANS! WE ARE STILL YELL-EY EXCITED ABOUT OUR NASOYA SPONSORED CONTEST!

HAVE YOU ENTERED YET?

HURRY UP! YOU ONLY HAVE TILL JUNE 8TH! THAT’S APPX. THREE DAYS FROM NOW, OR, YOU MAY KNOW IT AS “FRIDAY.”

All it takes to enter is a few clicks on the screen you’re already reading this on. Just follow us on Twitter, Facebook and or Instagram (@wearesupervegan) and then (re)tweet at us, “like” something, comment, or heart a pic! If you’re already doing so, you’re already entered to win!

Guys! My boyfriend Matt is a finalist in PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door contest! I entered him (with his tacit approval) a few weeks ago as a sort-of joke, because he would never, never enter himself in a beauty contest (modest!). Now he’s made it through the first round of voting! Whoa! If he wins, he gets a trip for two to Maui, and I’m not going to pretend that wouldn’t be the BEST.

Besides being intelligent, funny, and strikingly handsome, Matt is sexy by virtue of his washboard ribs. If you’re not convinced yet (don’tchya want me to go to Hawaii?), here’s why you should vote for him:

1. He is VEGAN. And HOT. (See photo.) Hey, stop looking at him like that, gosh! 2. He plays guitar and composes music for vegan art rock band HERE, with his twin brother, Dan, on drums. As you know, vegan boys/musicians rock, and we need to get the word out about more vegan bands. 3. He runs a vegan DIY music venue in Brooklyn with his brothers. 4. He’s the only finalist from NYC. Represent! 5. This vegan would be so happy if he won!

Now that you are armed with these sexy facts, take your ballot-casting fingers and follow the instructions below to vote. And please accept my future posts from Maui/shirtless shots of Matt on the beach as gratitude.

At Farm Sanctuary’s Rockin’ Out for Farm Animals

To vote: –This link will take you directly to Matt’s page -Click “Submit Your Vote” -Enter your name and e-mail -If you’d prefer not to receive e-mails from PETA, uncheck the box -Click “return to where you left off voting.” This part is deceiving ’cause it seems like you’ve already voted, but you haven’t just yet. -Click “Submit Your Vote.” The “Submit Your Vote” text should change to “Thanks For Voting!” once your vote has been registered. You did it! Now e-mail everyone you know asking them to vote for Matt. Let’s show these other dudes what sexy is all about!

Did somebody say VEGAN CHALLAH? Oh yes, VegNews just did! It’s going to be a good Hanukkah this year, Jews! (Is eggless challah possible?) Psst…I think I also heard them say “vegan gingerbread cookies.” Who’s up for a vegan gingerbread house bake-off? Hmmm?

Farm Sanctuary reminded us to sign their Petition for the Pigs, a letter that asks President Obama to demand that the USDA extend legal protection to downed pigs. Yeah, um, did we all just assume that pigs were covered like certain other large mammals?

Terry Hope Romero’s vegan Latin cookbook Viva Vegan is available for pre-order on Amazon. See how dangerous—and hot—that knife makes her look?

MetromixdeclaredDirt Candy‘s Amanda Cohen Chef of the Year. Amanda Cohen sounds like Samantha Cohen, which means THAT COULD TOTALLY BE ME ONE DAY.

USA Todayreported on school lunch standards: somehow less stringent than fast-food standards! Even KFC won’t buy the chickens kiddies are eating as chicken plywood nuggets.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the vegan buttery stick and shortening into small pieces. Pulse in food processor along with flour, sugar, and salt until ingredients are incorporated. Add 2 to 3 tbsp ice water (amount will vary depending on kitchen temperature and humidity) and pulse until mixture holds its shape when a small amount is squeezed in fist. Let dough rest in refrigerator for 1 hour. Roll out and press into a 9” diameter by 2” deep ceramic pie dish; crimp edges. Brush with rice milk or soy milk and dock bottom. Bake for 12 to14 minutes or until crust is very lightly browned, then allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. When crust has cooled, preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and thinly slice apples (about 1/8” thick) and place in a large bowl. Gradually add 1/3 cup of lime juice to moisten apples while prepping to prevent browning. Add the sugar, agave nectar, tapioca flour, flour, cinnamon and salt and gently mix together well. In a separate bowl, mix together all crumb topping ingredients well using a fork. Fill cooled pie crust with apple mixture using a slotted spoon and your hands. Spoon the crumb topping evenly over the apples. Place pie on a sheet pan and bake at 375°F. After 25 to 30 minutes, or when the topping and crust edges are lightly browned, loosely cover the entire pie with aluminum foil, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours. For glaze, sift powdered sugar into bowl. Add 1 tbsp of the lime juice and whisk well. Gradually add additional lime juice, several drops at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add vanilla extract and salt. Pipe the glaze in a lattice pattern onto the cooled pie.

1. Whisk together the flour, multigrain hot cereal mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 2. Beat the vegan butter and tahini in a stand mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. 3. Add the sugar and brown sugar, and beat about 2 more minutes. 4. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract, and beat for another 1 minute. 5. Stir in the flour mixture by hand just until incorporated. Do over mix. Chop the raspberry dark chocolate bar into ¼” to ½” pieces, and gently fold into the batter along with the chocolate chips and pecans. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour. 6. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Portion out rounded tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place on lightly greased baking sheets about 1-1/2” apart. Press down to flatten slightly. Sprinkle each cookie with a tiny pinch of raw sugar or turbinado sugar. 7. Bake at 350 °F for about 11-13 minutes, or until lightly browned. 8. Allow to cool for three minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ah, Fourth of July. The weekend when Americans celebrate their purported freedoms with…barbecues.

If you feel like getting democratic this weekend, vote for your favorite vegan this-and-that in VegNew’s 2009 VeggieAwards now until July 31. And if you happen to notice SuperVegan anywhere, like, say, the website category, we won’t say no to your vote! Feel free, also, to scribble our name into the blog category.

Vote (for us) and we’ll get our much needed attention, while you, voters, will be automatically entered in VegNew’s sweepstakes, for which the grand prize is a five-day vacation for two in Key West at vegan breakfast-serving Deer Run Bed & Breakfast. The other prizes are kickin’ too: His and hers Matt & Nat bags, a vegan ice cream starter kit, a chocolate smorgasboard, and weekly giveaways of vegan pizza kits. Can’t go wrong, so hop to it! Happy voting!

]]>Pet Detective Says the Thing that Needs To Be Saidhttp://supervegan.com/blog/pet-detective-says-the-thing-that-needs-to-be-said/
http://supervegan.com/blog/pet-detective-says-the-thing-that-needs-to-be-said/#commentsWed, 10 Jun 2009 03:10:10 +0000http://supervegan.com/blog/pet-detective-says-the-thing-that-needs-to-be-said/Too busy replaying the clip of Sacha Baron Cohen swooping into the MTV Movie Awards and landing his bare ass in Eminem’s face to catch this gem? I understand.

During his acceptance speech for the award for best comedic performance, Jim Carrey told 5.3 million viewers what caused factory farm flu:

We were recently nominated by VegNews for a 2008 Veggie Award for Best Blog! (A sweet antidote for the sour grapes I have for our not being nominated for Best Website, though you could write us in.) Why not mosey on over to the online poll and vote for us and all your other favorite vegan people, products, and places?

Not only may good things happen for us if you do it, but you’ll have a chance to win fabulous prize packages. The grand prize is a New York City Urban Getaway. (Live in NYC? So what? You still get to pig out at veggie restaurants and go on a shopping spree at MooShoesfor free if you live here.) Other prizes include a Glam Girl Goodie Bag, a Marshmallow Madness Gift Pack, and a Vegan Cookie Smorgasbord.

Twenty-one blogs were chosen as winners. Some of these are regular reads, but a a few I’d never heard of. Many of them have been mentioned or linked on SuperVegan in the past, via our blog or the blogs section of our web directory.

To win those free tickets ($25 each otherwise!) leave a comment telling us about one of your favorite vegan blogs (whether it was chosen by VegNews or not) and mention that you’re interested in the tix. And of course even if you aren’t able to make the event, we’d love to hear about your favorite vegan blogs!

Here’s what they had to say about us:

The Vegan Daily Show SuperVegan brings you all the news that’s fit to make fun of, as well as actual veg events, product reviews, and thought-provoking posts. With topics that run the gamut from April Fool’s Day jokes about Editor-At-Large Olivia Lane crossing over to the meat-eating dark side, to the extremely serious subject of cat slaughter in China, SV also offers a NYC restaurant guide and links to a slew of veg-friendly blogs and websites. Says Lane, “It’s a nice reminder that not all vegans feel the same about everything.” Read this blog if: You need to be in the know.

Wow, thanks! We’re thrilled to have won, and extend warm congratulations to all of our fellow winners!

Now that “green” is mainstream, every May many publications roll out their Green Issues. It almost seems as if green is the new black, which has its pros and cons. Overall, Elle‘s third annual Green Issue was a hit with me. Additionally, thanks to Aveeno Active Naturals, the entire issue was printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper. Corporate America, can we see that more often, please?

What I loved: Guest editor Laurie David‘s poignant message about making “global warming the reason you pull the lever at the polls in November.” Their “Green Stars” article (pg. 210), featuring the best natural beauty products out now. Many are organic and vegan. Too many to list here, but if you’re a product junkie, watch out! “Big Gulp” (pg. 232) covers the growing interest in cleansing with juice fasting (aka juice feasting). Their 2008 Green Awards (pg. 252), noting the philanthropic and eco-conscious projects of Brad, Stella (and Sir Paul McCartney for making her), Cate Blanchett, Fiji water, those Google guys and NYC’s local meteorologist Sam Champion. The Madonna cover story (pg. 279), and her work with the HIV-afflicted in Malawi.

What I loathed: “Beauty And The Beast” (pg. 245) was a major let-down for any “green” issue. The article covers “Beast,” a popular restaurant in Portland, Oregon, where allegedly the chef “has found an elegant, dare we say feminine, solution to the ethical eater’s dilemma: how to eat pig without being one.” Umm… excuse me darlings, but ethical eaters and anyone claiming to be an environmentalist doesn’t do animals. Period.

The June issue of Elle is already on newsstands. The subject of being green is not in the press as much now that Earth Day has passed and we’re halfway through May. I still continue hoping this green thing continues gaining steam so that we don’t have to wait until May for the media to note more ways to save the day.

Candle 79 patrons might recognize Michael, a snowboarding NYU student who works as a manager at the upscale restaurant. My friend Marisa, who seems to be his campaign manager, writes, “He deserves our vote if for no other reason than having served thousands of giggling girls (and guys) delectable dishes and drinks with a dashing smile. Oh yeah, and he’s been vegan since he was twelve. Now that’s HOT.”

So I schlepped out to Williamsburg for the Vegan Buffalo Wing Eating Contest at Foodswings. I missed the first few minutes, but was still able to squeeze into the packed room. I don’t think I missed much–15 minutes is a long time to just watch people stuff face. The stereo was pumping, mostly jock-rock anthems, but also in the mix was Bob Marley’s Buffalo Soldier. This would have to be about the only forgivable context for playing that song in public.

Congratulations to winner Dan (17 wings!) and runners up Marc (15 wings!) and Corey (13.5 wings!). And congrats also to Freedom and the Foodswings team for pulling this off. Vegan New York needs more fun ridiculousness like this!

Even though it’s nearly a week after Thanksgiving, I’m sure lots of us have Tofurky on the verge of molding in our fridge or cast away to a frost bitten future in the freezer. I don’t blame you. Who can eat the same campy Holiday loaf day after day? The irony gets lame when you wake up around 2PM on Sunday to eat your third Tofurky sandwich to recover from a long holiday weekend of binge drinking.

Couch potatoes who prefer watching food production to getting busy in the kitchen should keep an eye out for the Discovery Channel program Modern Marvels, which will soon feature an in-depth look at how Tofurky Deli Slices are made. The episode is tentatively scheduled to air on December 18th, but check network listings as the date approaches to confirm.

It’s yet another peta2 contest! This time they want to know the most veg-friendly college. The winning school will get a big peta2-sponsored party, and those who vote will have a chance to win a prize pack full of peta2 swag.

NYU was nominated, which I can’t say impresses me too much, unless things have really changed in the three years since I graduated. I mean, sure, NYU has those monthly vegan dinners, but I couldn’t even bring myself to eat that mass-produced cafeteria stuff on a monthly basis, let alone daily.

I forget what category SuperVegan was nominated in, either best website or best blog. But it doesn’t matter, we didn’t win. The people have spoken, and their favorite blog (of those nominated) was Fatfree Vegan Kitchen and their favorite website was Happy Cow. Congrats to both winners. Those are both great sites, and totally deserving. And thanks to everyone who did cast a vote for SuperVegan–we owe you a Newman-O.

I’m super-proud that our dear home of New York City was voted “Favorite Veg-Friendly City” and Candle 79 won for “Favorite Veg Restaurant.” And the mayor of Vegan New York, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, was both the readers’ “Favorite Cookbook Author” and the editors’ “Personality of the Year” (not to be confused with the readers’ “Favorite Vegan Personality,” Natalie Portman, who’s also sort of from New York). The local media swept both ends of the spectrum, with Jane magazine dubbed “Veg-Friendly Mainstream Mag of the Year” and the New York Times getting a booby prize for that whole Nina Planckvegan-babies-will-surely-die bit. Way to go, NYC!

Some of the winners are a little suspect though. Let’s just say that if your favorite vegan cheese is Tofutti, you’ve got to get out more!

Congratulations to Thiru Kumar for winning the 2007 Vendy Cup for best street food! Thiru, arguably the friendliest man in New York City, runs the the NY Dosas street cart on the south side of Washington Square. All of his food is vegan and cheap. And now officially the best.

Get on over there and vote for your favorite vegan doughnut, ice cream, cookie, bakery, chocolate, and also a bunch of things that aren’t dessert. The most important thing is that you vote for SuperVegan in category 20, “Favorite Veg Blog.” Seriously, it’s mandatory that you vote for us, or you’re not allowed to read the site anymore.

The grand prize California vacation package includes a 4-day stay at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino, dinner at Millenium, and all-you-can-eat ice cream sundaes at MaggieMudd. Don’t miss this chance to show them just how much ice cream you can eat!!

The poll is open until September 1. The winners (which will include SuperVegan if you know what’s good for you!) will be announced in the November/December issue of VegNews.

At the top of the heap (at least for now) is VeganYumYum, my personal favorite go-to source for explicit work-safe vegan food porn. To round out the top tier (non-vegan sites obvs not included), there’s Fat Free Vegan, Vegan Lunchbox, Urban Vegan and Vegan Improv. I’d suggest you go vote for your favorite, but why not just check these out, drool a bit and give them some commenty love instead–it’ll be time better spent.

This year’s Oscar for Most Unreliable Performance by an AR Organization should go to the American Humane Association, the group that doles out the “No animals were harmed in the making of this film” disclaimer. This year’s Oscar contenders given that seal of approval include The Departed, Half Nelson, and Superman Returns. However, the AHA has been accused of incompetence and disregard for animal safety in films, which leaves me wondering if anybody is watching the animal actors. Nobody wants another tragedy like Flicka.

On the upside, 2006 was a happening one for animal-friendly films. Though not given the Oscar nod, Behind the Mask, Fast Food Nation, and Charlotte’s Web were honored with nominations for next month’s 21st Genesis Awards, a series that recognizes “news and entertainment media that showcase animal protection issues.”

PETA’s Proggy Awards, 2007 ed. have been announced and they make little to no sense. These things are all over the map, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to mall-food-of-my-youth Red Robin to Coldstone Creamery. Yeah, Coldstone Creamery won best nondairy ice cream for their sorbet. My thoughts on this are: 1. Sorbet is not ice cream, 2. What??

Personal favorite, though, is the best new cookbook category, which went to the Post Punk Kitchen‘s Isa Chandra Moskowitz — not for last fall’s transcendently beautiful Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (co-authored with PPKer Terry Hope Romero) but for the awesome Vegan with a Vengeance. Which came out in 2005. That is not progress, PETA, that is… regress. It’s 2007 and we love our timely cupcakes, dammit.

The League of Humane Voters of NYC just released its 2007 Humane Scorecard. Sadly, even in an almost exclusively Democratic City Council, compassion seems to be the minority viewpoint. While big congrats and thank-you’s go to Rosie Mendez, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Sara Gonzalez, and Michael Nelson, each of whom got straight A’s, 14 members flunked out spectacularly, with absolute 0’s. You can’t get much worse than that.

Scratch that. In what can be seen only as proof of multiple personality disorder, Speaker Christine Quinn, who according to LOHV-NYC recently dubbed herself “a staunch advocate for animal rights,” not only got a zero, she sealed her score with a bloody kiss when she officially came out against banning foie gras in NYC. Quinn probably should have described herself as “a staunch advocate for animal rights, as long as those rights don’t interfere with the bankrolls of the food and restaurant industries.”

The LOHV-NYC Winter Membership Meeting will take place at 6:30pm at the LGBT Community Center, at 208 W. 13th St. in Rm. 101, with food provided by Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen. To RSVP, e-mail info@humanenyc.org or call 212-889-0303.

Are you a Tofutti cutie? Do people often compliment you on your sexy extra firm tofu bod? Are you longing to show off your Tofurky Jurky? Well, I’ve got the contest for you.

PETA is now accepting entrants to the 2007 Sexiest Vegetarian Contest. This year, the booty going to the vegetarian with the hottest booty includes a trip for two to Maui, Hawaii!

Complete details can be found at GoVeg.com. All entries must be received no later than January 30th. Check out last year’s winners to get an idea of what they’re looking for. If you’re a woman, it seems that showing more skin and being barely legal will give you a competitive edge. As for guys, clothes are okay but being young doesn’t hurt.